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Jacob Medina, a young man who has apparently turned his life around in the years following his involvement in a 2007 gang-related stabbing, was sentenced Monday to 15 years in state prison for his role in the attack. Seventeen years old when the stabbing took place, Medina — now 20 — was not arrested for the crime until late 2009, and he pleaded no contest to the attempted-murder charge.

Since his days of troublemaking, when he was known by the gang moniker “Syko,” Medina had been attending Santa Barbara City College. He also mentored high schoolers about going to college at SBCC’s Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, which reaches out to low-income, educationally challenged students. “He was always looking to help others,” said David Morley, an SBCC counselor.

While he struggled with grades in some classes, he did receive a few As, and mentors believed the ongoing court case affected his abilities to do well. Several people who testified at Medina’s sentencing hearing said he was dedicated, modest, committed, and of mild character. “It is my opinion as someone who has studied gangs for the last five years and grew up around them,” said Dr. Victor Rios — a UCSB researcher studying Santa Barbara gang activity — on the stand, “that Jacob is in the small percentage of young people who actually show a lot of promise to better himself and be an asset to his community.”

But the Jacob Medina of 2007 was different. Starting in 2006 and over the course of the next two years, he was disruptive in school, was convicted of carrying a dangerous weapon, and escaped from Los Prietos Boys Camp.

Earlier this month, Medina heard a former gang member involved in the attack — who took a plea bargain in exchange for his testimony — talk about the night in question. A group had been hanging out at an Eastside home, and they decided to go over to the Westside, said the witness, who also testified in front of a Grand Jury about the incident. Ruben Mize and two others armed themselves with knives, and they then went to Medina’s home, where he got a hunting knife.

They traveled to the Westside and saw “someone with a shaved head and white T-shirt,” the 18-year-old witness said, and Mize asked him where all the homies were at. The victim pointed to a park, and the group began stabbing him. The witness estimated Mize stabbed the victim 10 or so times in the upper torso and upper back, and Medina stabbed the victim 10 to 15 times in the upper body.

A light went on, and three of them ran to the car, while Medina kept stabbing, said the witness, who thought the victim was dead. During his Grand Jury testimony, the witness said that Medina “was trying to kill the guy, you know … he didn’t care about what happened to him.”

Prosecutor Hans Almgren, at the sentencing hearing, presented several photos of Medina flashing gang signs and hanging out with known gang members.

The two contrasts left Judge Frank Ochoa with a difficult choice Tuesday in front of a courtroom packed with Medina supporters. The prosecution was asking for 19 years in prison. “If this court does not sentence Medina in the same way as the others, then this court has failed,” Almgren said. The defense was asking for probation with the strongest terms possible. “He’s the best messenger we have to those young people who are at risk,” defense counsel Benjamin Bycel said.

The judge acknowledged that Medina was not similarly situated as Mize, whom he had sentenced earlier in the day to 19 years in state prison for pleading to the same crime and who was involved in several other brazen attacks. And while acknowledging that Medina had made changes in his life, the judge said, “It is extremely unfortunate that the defendant did not commit himself to those changes prior to his crime.”

Ochoa then sentenced Medina to 15 years, five for the attempted murder and 10 for a gang enhancement. Medina was also ordered to register as a gang member. “I wish you hadn’t done what you did that night, but we can’t change that,” Ochoa said.

Medina, who had been out on a bail that family members had paid for, was remanded to the custody of the Sheriff’s Department and handcuffed, and the courtroom was cleared.

Comments

You play you pay, if not today then later but pay you will and pay dearly, especially for murder. For it is hard to separate a man from the end of a knife that is plunged into another human being. So without question this youngster should do the time and let that be a lesson to all of the wannabe gang losers.

The defense attorney's adamant stance for probation in this case is an absolute joke. The judge was put in a corner. The case could have never ever been decided with probation. And someone most likely paid for that type of legal defense? Wow! You couldn't have done worse on your own and may have done better by throwing yourself on the sword (so to speak) at the mercy of the court. Adios, and buena suerte, pendejo!

AZ2SB, this is obviously an incredibly tough call Ochoa had to make, and anyone who knows him and his family knows he did not make it lightly, and certainly not based on race or any other stupid, superficial prejudice.

You make an accusation like that, you should back it up, or shut up. And use your real name.

My favorite all time example is the DUI example where he sentenced a white woman from Montecito to a county year in jail and probation for manslaughter on a DUI case but sentenced a black woman to 15 to life for second degree murder on a similar DUI case. When I say similar, I mean there is a someone dead in both cases because of someones stupid choice to drink and drive.

Only in the fact that both drivers were drunk and someone died. Beyond that, the cases differed greatly. One was on her way home drunk and struck a pedestrian.

The other was drunk, was told not to drive from the Maverick, chose to anyway, then was involved in escaping detention by the Highway Patrol and speeding away from them when she crashed...That aggravates the charges and the sentencing.

Santa Barbara courts gave him this large amount of time because the public and media were wacthing. This was a gang member who was stabbed not an inocent kid walking from playing basketball I know I live in the local neighborhood. He was playing the game of gang banging so he got stabbed thats part of gang banging im not saying its right but it is the way it is. He got released from the hospital the next day and still remains a gang member. Jacob made a mistake when he was a kid he was influenced by older men to do crimes. As a man he changed his life and no longer gang banged. Should he still pay for what he did yes, did he deserve 15 years no. The victim moved on with his life I know I live in the neighborhood. Jacob was sorry for what he did and was no longer a danger to society but the media and public were watching so the d.a. and the judge had to "send a message". They gave him 15 years for a crime he did as a juvenile. What about a child molester who harms an inocent child. A first time offender accused of child molestation would not even see 5 years in prison. There is no cure for child molesters they are sick and have to be constantly supervised. They have a re-offence rate of 90 percent but yet our judical system will give them slaps in the hand time after time. I have a cousin who was molested and I know a young girl who was molested by her neighbor. both men recieved less than 2 years in prison and both re-offended. So can we all think about that before saying Jacob deserved this extensive amount of time for a mistake he made as a dumb teen and also a mistake he learned dearly from.Our judical system only cares about how they look or whats on the front page.

He's changed as an individual he's a completely different person than he was. I know this from becoming close to him. I myself used to gang bang and like Jacob grew up and realized that family, real friends and loved ones are what you need in life. If Jacob and I were still in our immature mentalities we would not have become close because we are from different sides of town. But that's not the individual he is today the fact that we are from different sides was never an issue for us because like I said he sees life for what it's really about now that he is a mature young man. He is paying dearly for what he did as a minor who unfortunatelly didn't know any better. There is light at the end of his tunnel he is still young he didn't deserve the time he got but he's not gonna let time change him from the good person he has become. He has alot of support from friends and family and we will all stand by him and we will be waiting for the day we will be able to be in the presence of this great person again. Coming from a friend and a person who would be considered by the streets his ex-rival.

On the face of it, this is very very sad and seems like a too long sentence: 5 years for the attempt plus 10 years for having been a gang member. That doesn't seem right and I wonder if the judge had discretion. Interesting that the victim of the stabbing was out of the hospital within a day or so and yet Medina and very bad apple, Mize, will be gone for many years.

in regards to the comperison of the dui cases: one individual got 1 year of jail for the dui and man slaughter and the other individual also got one year of jail time for the dui and man slaughet and additional 14 years for being warned not to drive and for evading the police! This young man got 15 to life for assault w a deadly weapon...I guess next time just dui and run over the person you're aming for and don't evade the police and you will only get one year in county jail!

I'm with you, Unfair. Many people are completely different at age 20 from who they were at age 16. Those are some of the most important formative years of life, and the most dangerous. Most teenagers make bad decisions and feel compelled to do things they they regret; almost all of us feel lucky to have pulled it off without harm, if we did. That's why we have a category called "teenager" and it's supposedly why we have different laws for adults and minors. But the courts love to ignore those distinctions and measure prosecutorial success in achieving the most convictions and the most strenuous sentences.

The victim did not die and Medina did reform. Now Medina gets to suffer punishment for 15 years (!) The Montecito DUI victim upthread is still dead, but the perp, who was a full adult and supposedly responsible member of the community, got one year, and that was considered strenuous at the time. The media were all over it: rich white Montecitan goes to jail! But a Hispanic teenager? The message is clear: once you do one bad thing, even if your victim does not die, there is no forgiveness, so there's no point in regret or reform. Excellent :\

It certainly calls out "shame" to the DA's emphasis on "restorative justice" for the DA to be asking the same penalty, 19 years!, for Medina as for Mize. However, I don't know the probation reports which, surely, must have guided Ochoa or maybe he just didn't believe there had been any changes made by Medina. I am surprised there have not been any appellate court challenges to such major "gang enhancement" sentences.

As for the Montecito DUI, killing the highly respected Dr. Schlensky, Hulsey got herself pregnant and so got something that Median could not, forgiveness from the judge. http://www.independent.com/news/2008/...

Another example of local color- and class-blind Justice:"...the vehicular homicide trial of Montecito real estate agent Maureen McDermut, who accidentally killed pedestrian Joseph Cohn while he was taking a nighttime stroll along Hot Springs Road in August 2003."

There is also the fact that sentencing guidelines are different for DUI related deaths than for other crimes. Judges only have so much leeway when there are mandated sentencing guidelines but why let facts get in the way of your complaints. Now if you were going to argue how sentencing guidelines are unequal you might have a point, for example the differences that existed with crack vs powder cocaine which generally had a impact on one group of users over another.

Of course the problem is people got sick of the gang members, so the enhancement charges get thrown on. Before you blame Ochoa - Unfair you have to realize something; the choices you made and your former gangbanging buddies did or continue to do led to his sentence. You may not like Ochoas actions but look in the mirror and take responsibility you are partly to blame for his sentence as well...

WOW, brutal remark True_Local...with a point a view like that you're worse then thsese individuals being judged...you're not part of the solution so you're part of the problem...Because of ingnorant people like you things will never change.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of young Jacob Medina's in this city. They need to know that if they CHOOSE to pursue a gang lifestyle, there will be serious consequences in store for them and their parents. A message has to be sent, an example has to be made.

@SezMe: As a citizenry, we will collectively pay thousands of dollars in prosecution and incarceration of Medina. I believe it is a common confusion -- as your comment could easily be read -- that EACH of us will pay (our) thousands of dollars in taxes to deal with criminals.

On a federal level, about 1% of our tax dollars go to Administration of Justice.

Sorry for jacob and family.... now DA,"shame on you" can you tell us where are all "OLD ANIMALGANSTERS" who's push this kids to commit crimes?? they all are in the streets... boxer, rocks, roscoe, risky, rudy gallegos, cricket, etc. DO YOU REAL JOB pinche pelon!!

I thank everyone for taking the time to comment and having a open heart and mind. Anyone who had anything negative to say is immature and blind to reality and probably never fell victim to being a follower to the wrong crowd. That happens sometimes when your family cant afford to live in a better neighborhood or because your mother is a single parent and has to work extra hard and cant keep as close of an eye on you as she would want to so you go outside and you see these older guys getting out of prison and you think theyre cool because everyone else around you thinks theyre cool so you want to do what they say in order to be accepted. Some of you out there had the family stability and the smarts as a young teenager not to do the things that Jacob and I did as teenagers and that's good I wouldnt wish any different. But thats not the reality for someone who grew up like Jacob. Nobody is asking for extra leniency or early release, but they didnt have to throw the book at him and they did, he changed as an individual and the courts took none of that into consideration. Keep in mind he was out for two and a half years before he got caught for the crime and he committed no offenses as an adult. He chose to change and he did he's a better man than he was a child a total 180 from what he was. He now thinks for himself and doesnt let anybody influence him hes a man. He made mistakes when he was young but that doesnt take away from the man he has become. He wanted to do his part and talk kids into choosing a positive route in life and he chose to do this on his own he knew the whole time he was probably going to get an extensive sentence because of his crime and because of the way Santa Barbara is when it comes to gang members but still he kept bettering himself and trying to let kids know how gang life isnt worth it. He did this from his heart. A young gang member is going to listen to a gang member who has something to say, not the message the d.a. is trying to send out with this extensive sentence. He couldve reached at risk youth on a level that no counselor or mentor could have. But hes thrown under the bus for fifteen years. Like I said before should he pay for what he did, yes did he deserve the sentence, no. If Santa Barbara wants to put an end to our gangs here we need more people like jacob thats a fact. He has no voice to our youth doing 15 years in prison. We can take a different aproach to gangs rather than throwing them in prison and jail or juvenile hall. Theres a cheaper, more effective way to aproach our youth and thats through someone like Jacob a voice that our local teens will listen to.

When I was young there were people who tried but I didnt respect them because they werent from the streets so I didnt listen. There can be a peace between gangs here there can be decreased local violence but its going to take a unique person like Jacob, He is not frowned on by the streets for doing better for himself and thats the kind of voice kids will listen to. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I wrote this comment keeping everyones comments and opinions in mind even the negative stuff because I understand everyone has a different point of view. What I say is real and I would rather say nothing if I wasnt speaking the truth. I love Santa Barbara and I would love to see our town with no violence. Thats not going to happen if we send people like Jacob away for long periods of time. He needs to pay his debt for what he did but we can also use him out here to better our beautiful city we all call home. The law couldve at least met him at a fair point but like I said the media and public were watching.

I know alot about this case because for reasons I cant discuss I was aware of all the details during the trial. Judge Ochoa and the d.a. only care about how they look. Another fact the public was unaware of is that one of the gang members who also stabbed the victim testified against Jacob and in exchange for his testimony he recieved 5 years in prison and out of 5 years he will serve 3 years, howcome that part of the trial wasn't on the front page.

It's interesting that this blog is out to get the DA and the Judge. The Grand Jury of Santa Barbara decided Jacob should stand trial for conspiracy to commit murder. Jacob was facing life in prison. Jacob stabbed an unarmed person more than 30 times with three others leaving the man for dead. The DA plea bargained the case, asked the judge to dismiss the conspiracy, and the judge decided the sentence. Does anyone really think that the person stabbed deserved it or that since the victim managed to live that could be a point in Jacob's favor? Jacob received F's and NP according to the judge at his hearing. Jacob had a long criminal history from what I heard in court. Jacob stabbed that man, not the DA, not the judge. Grow up.

@Nitz: There are certain traditions on The Independent blog that are not questioned--they merely are what they are. Pinatubo's role--in addition to voicing his/her opinions, is to point out when new bloggers join a thread. Binky will often invoke "Godwin's Law" which is when a thread degenerates to the point where someone compares another person to Hitler. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%2...)

Pinatubo and Binky are bloggers who do excellent research but are frequently opposed in their arguments, (Pinatubo leaning conservative and Binky leaning liberal) but occasionally agree. They also recognize the need to blow off steam by providing humor so occasionally you will wonder why they do what they do.

Having said this, Pinatubo failed to invoke the N.B.A. rule (New Blogger Alert) in the following thread (http://www.independent.com/news/2011/...) and as such threw me into a temporary depression as a result.

Thanks, Unfair, for your comments and explanations. I hope that somehow or other, Jacob Medina's time in prison turns out to be valuable. I don't think this long sentence serves either the taxpayers who pay the costs of prison time, about $47,000/year, or, apparently, this particular defendant well.

And PointsSouth mentioned sentencing guidelines: I believe Ochoa had discretion here --- or did he not?

attempted murder 15yearsmanslaughter under the influence 1 yearis this correct? difference: economic, skin color, intent.This week, our president had to show his 'papers' to some rich, white, game show con man. Now the con is asking to see more 'papers'. This is our country.

The message will not be received and the example will be lost in the fog of societal pressures. This, and even much worse, "messages" have been sent millions of times with no effect. We have some of the harshest sentencing practices in the world. Yet we also have the largest prison population in the whole world both in terms of per capita and absolute numbers. So the "messaging" you approve of just does not work. Period.

Worse, you tough-on-crime people actually make the problem worse with your "messaging". Incarceration of the young virtually guarantees a much more hardened criminal at the end of his sentence. The recidivism rate is near 80% if I remember correctly.

Let me start with John Roshell, the comments that have been posted about Judge Ochoa are 100% correct, and yes I know him. He and Paula are Hispanic 1 week out of year at that is Fiesta's. The one and only time that it is Ok to be Hispanic in SB. As for True Local, Jacob was born and raised in Santa Barbara the same as his parents, Grandparents, and Great Grandparents. So, if anyone is a true local it is them. It is narro minded, prejudice #!*holes like you that have made SB what it is today. As for Easy for you to say. Unless you know Jacob and all the TRUE FACTS about his case I suggest you keep your mouth shut. Jacob did not stab the victim 30 times, he was collectively stabbed by 4 individuals, not just by one person. As for Jacob's criminal background he does not have one except for this charge. He has curfew violations and unfortunately a run in with a SBPD officer that did not like him which started his troubles. He has no violent offenses in his background. Is he guilty with hanging out with thed wrong crowd for a while, yes. But the DA got up and told many lies. Just because Jacob would not point out other kids for other crimes he is where he is. One of the defendants in this case got ZERO time for this case and continue to be part of gang life. Jacob went on to speaking at schools, mentoring and becoming a productive member of society. Those kids that he was helping have no one now!

Justice4them all is either living in a fantasy world, or is a defense attorney. Jacob may not have a criminal background as an adult, but he certainly had one as a juvenile. You should get your facts correct or keep your mouth shut, to take a quote from you. Also, if one of the three defendants came forward to the police to implicate Jacob and then testify against him to corroborate what he did, then yes, he should do less time. Without it, no one would have ever known Jacob also participated in the gang related crime. GANG RELATED CRIME, GET IT? That alone buys you an automatic 10 YEARS! And the Judge has ZERO discretion about it. It is mandatory sentencing. Quit whinning and comparing other crimes people. If you are going to be involved in gang activity you will be punished harshly, end of story. The public is tired of all this B.S. so I applaud the system for making these punks an example and throwing the book at them. And if it's not a detterent for anyone else, then they will be treated the same when they come to court. Hang out with gangs and you may be going to prison for a long time. Hang out with Phi Beta Kappa and you just might end up with a degree and career. The choice is always yours. Use it wisely!

To add to AZ's comment I wonder how many defense attorneys who specialize it trying to keep violent people going to jail are Phi Beta Kappa.

The bottom line is that it's not nice to stab people, or to try to trivialize the impact of their actions. There are a lot of "armchair liberals" who have never had to worry about raising their kids in a neighborhood where stabbings and violence are commonplace.

Well not personally knowing the case in great detail.This is a very sad outcome.It just goes to show you there is a complete double judicial standard based on race in this city.state and country.The numbers dont lie on the disproportional people in jail compared to the total population.This injustice is like this in the Bay area,Los Angeles San Diego and Ventura.If Jacob was white the outcome would be completely different,just as the white and black dui woman with same results.Just as the white cop gets 1 year for murdering a handcuff black man in front of bunch of witnesses at BART station in Oakland.But of course he was in fear for his life.Did Jacob do a huge mistake yes should he be sentenced for 15 years no.The whole time he was out and the DA years later decides to put him on trial is a political ploy for SB's uncle tom sanchez police chief's gang injunction plan,Which by the way is another form on marginalization of the brown community.I've seen first hand how gang injuntions work and if you even talk to suspected gang member,have a shaved head,look like one,etc.The idiot gang unit will label you as such and slap anything you do with gang enhancements.If you look closely the biggest gang are the cops,lawyers,DA's,Judges.prison guards,DEA,FBI because they are the ones making all the money in this prison nation.Why even bother teaching kids that theres Liberty,Justice and Equality for all.When the actions and outcomes are completly different depending on if your white or not.The sad thing is that this will just get worse as the economy continue to falter.More mexican kids being marginalized and be set up by the cowardly gang unit.Fear of the brown man.More Jim Crow laws will be drawn up,More get rid of illegals chant,America should just stick to it's original charter of manifest destiny,free land for whites only,chinese exclusion act,Indian relocation programs,Operation Wetback,3/5 comprimise and slavery.

Having said this, Pinatubo failed to invoke the N.B.A. rule (New Blogger Alert) in the following thread (http://www.independent.com/news/2011/...) and as such threw me into a temporary depression as a result.

So let's see, if I stab someone because A: My dog telepathically tells me to do so, or B: I'm in an angry mood, it really doesn't matter because as long as I don't belong to a gang, I will only get a third of the sentence?

I did read that correctly didn't I?...belonging to a gang in and of itself is twice as bad as attempted murder?

I just hope and pray that if someone commits a crime against me they aren't a gang member because then I will feel the impact of the crime 300% more.

Using the same logic, I should be relieved that if someone assaults me they aren't committing a "hate" crime.

So just to review: Five for the crime itself, ten more for belonging to a gang. Got it.

I am sure the guy on his boat in eastbeach was relieved when psycho lover came on to it and stabbed him instead of this eastside gang member "Psycho". Makes total sense, and I see that from this and many other lessons, gang members are just quaking in their Converse or Cortez not trying to be another number. Come on! Let's just build a fence and give everybody a prison number.

I keep thinking that if I were a gang member hearing about this sentence I would be convinced there's no benefit in going straight, the legal system will treat me the same whether I'm still a gangbanger or not. Doesn't seem like a very good message to send.

I hope prison doesn't completely destroy Jacob's newfound moral character. That would be one more crime piled on top of the other. I wish him strength of heart for what is coming.

mtndriver... wait 1 or 2 more weeks and u can see siko (jakob) new look, (more gangs tattoos, shave head, etc) it's fk**g life in jail (county jail or state prison) so all newfound moral character stays on home or sbcc. WELCOME to the JUNGLE.

No, different psycho. That guy (east beach stabber) was actually psycho, he wasn't nicknamed that by his buddies. The connection was that the crime was the same, but the sentence was different. Like Bill was saying, I really doubt the victim is relieved when he becomes aware that his attacker is not a gang member.